As a parent volunteer and as the president of the PTA, she was “the mom everyone knew” at Plaza Vista School in Irvine, California where her daughter was attending. Her fellow parents trusted her and confided with her. But on February 16, 2011, Kelli Peters, the mom with whom other parents at school entrusted their child, found herself in an embarrassing situation.
Things took a terrible turn that day when Kelli was waiting for her daughter who was about to get outside of class. She was approached by a police officer who was responding to a call from someone claiming to have observed her as driving erratically. Kelli was surprised but assured herself that she has nothing to fear. But when the police officer searched her car, he found a large bag of marijuana behind the driver’s seat.
Kelli was stunned. She could not believe that this was happening.
Was Kelli really in possession of illegal drugs or was she a victim of a setup?
Doing what she always loved
Kelli Peters was a 49-year-old mother who was a constantly visible figure at Plaza Vista Elementary School where her daughter was attending. She was the volunteer director of the After school Classroom Enrichment program at the school, a position that didn’t pay her, but allowed her to do something she was truly passionate about. Most afternoons, she would take care of hundreds of small emergencies and issues presented by fellow parents. She was easily recognizable with her blond hair, flip-flops, bright sundresses, and peace-sign pendant that she wore around her neck.
